Egg turner



Sept. 22; 1925.

A. E. GOMOND EGG TURNER F11!- Jan. 2:5, 1924 INVENTOR.

indreu E. Goznond Q n s ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 22, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE. 1

ANDREW E. GOM NI or srocxron, CALIFORNIA.

EGG TURNER.

Application filed January 23, 1924. Serial No. 687,940.

Be it known that I, ANDREW E. GOMOND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Stockton, county of San Joaquin, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Egg Turners; and

I do declare the following? to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying .drawings, and to the characters of reference marked'thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in egg-trays such as are used in incubators, to hold the eggs being artificially hatched.

During at least a certain extent of the incubating period, the eggs must be turned somewhat at least once a day, the reasons for doing this being well known to those in the industry, and needing no explanation here. 7 1

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a tray arranged to Y be set in an incubator and to support a considerable number of eggs, in which tray is mounted a means fo turning all the eggs simultaneously and with at single simple motion on the part of the. operator.

Another object of the invention is to arrange the egg supporting means in such a manner that as the chicks are hatched, they can immediately drop into the nest below the tray, without any prior horizontal travel on their part being necessary.

For those who do not desire this feature incorporated, however, the usual screens may be placed under and mounted in connection with the tray, allowing the chicks to drop into the nest only at the ends of the tray.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensive device and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as-will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved egg turner, a certain portion of the near side being cut ofl.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the turner,-

somewhat enlarged, and showing the same mounted in an incubator.

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary longitudinal sections of, the turner, showing the eggs in the difierent positions had by manipulation of the turning means.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes a rectangular framework e-nclosing an area of suitable size, and adapted to be removably supported on cleats 2 or similar members in an incubator 3. This framework is preferably formed of sheet metal angle members, with the hori zontal portions 1 facing inwardly and at the bottom. of the framework.

Supported on the longitudinal members l of the frame and extending from. end to end thereof and removable at will therefrom are vertical plates 4, forming supports for a plurality of transverse and parallel rods 5 which extend ther-ebetween.

The rods are preferably wound with soft and shock absorbing fabric of some kind, as shown at 6. p

Slidablysupported on the frame members P, and extending transversely thereof with a running fit between the-plates 4 are rigid members 7, on which are fixed rectangular bars 8, which extend lengthwise of the frame 1 under the rods 5, and in a plane at right angles to the latter. The bars are.

preferably hollow, so that while rigid, they may be of light construction.

The bars 8 are sufficiently shorter than the longitudinal members of the frame 1 to permit of a certain amount of sliding movement of said bars 8 and members 7 between the end members of the frame 1.

The entire structure, being thus constructed in the form of three separate and readily demountable units, may be very easily taken apart for cleaning etc. whennecessary. I To enable the bars 8 to be readily slid along the frame when desired, I preferably mount between, any pairs of the same, at suitable intervals and near the bottom thereof, small transversely [disposed rods 9, which may be grasped by the fingers of the operator or engaged by any pushing or pulling means held in his hand.

In operation the structure 7--8 is moved to abut against one end of the frame 1, and the eggs are then mounted in the spaces provided between the rods 5 and the bars 8 thereunder, the eggs being set with their pointed ends down, at a slant so that their major axes have a downward slope toward that end of the frame 1 against which the bars 8 are abutted, as shown in Fig. 3.

The bars and rods are arranged soflthat the eggs when so set will rest at transversely opposed points against adjacent upper edges of adjacent bars 8, and also against the head ones of the rods 5 thereabove, the main weight of the eggs being carried by the bars, the rods merely preventing them from further tipping or sloping movement in the direct-ion in which the eggs are already set.

Then upon sliding the bars 8 as a unit to abut against the opposite end of the frame 1, the slope of setting of the eggs is -instantly reversed, the rods acting as the fulcrums about which the eggs rock, and the bars 8 forming the means for turning the eggs about said fulcrums, since said eggs, being more or less wedged between the bars, are engaged by the latter sufiiciently to cause the bars to grip and move the eggs rather than merely slip by the same and lea-vethem in their original positions. The rods 5 being round, do not offer resistance to the turningof the eggs.

There being an unobstructed opening between each pair of bars, there is nothing to prevent a chick, when hatched from any egg, from immediately dropping into the nesting space below the turning tray, as is desirable.

As previously stated, however, if not desired, ascreen of the usual nature may be mounted under thefbars and secured thereto, leaving however openings between the endbars of the tray for the chicks to drop through.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An eg turning device comprising a rectangular frame having a ledge all around the same, independent strips lying alongside the frame sides from end to end and supported on the bottom ledge, parallel and spaced rods extending between the strips,

spaced bars under the rods extending at right angles thereto and somewhat shorter than the frame sides, and members extending transversely of the bars between the strips at the ends of the bars and resting on the frame ledges, said members being connected to the bars to form a rigid unit movable along and removable from the frame.

,2. An egg turning device comprising a frame, a plurality of spaced and parallel bars connected together as a rigid unit and arranged for longitudinal horizontal :movement in the frame, a :plurality of parallel and spaced rods above the bars at right angles to the bars and means independent of the frame and of the bar unit and supported bythe frame for connecting the rods togetherzto form a rigid unit.

In testimony whereof I aflix-my-signature.

ANDRElV E. GOMOND. 

